Tag Archives: Spring 2018

Spotlight Blog Post #3

--Original published at KatiesPerspectives

Shows like True Life, My Strange Addiction, and Hoarding: Buried Alive are shows that the viewer can watch casually and comfortably in their homes at the touch of a button – but do we ever think about the story behind the person? In some of these shows, the person that is being followed can seem “crazy,” but have you ever stopped to think that maybe their being exploited by the ones holding the camera? In my opinion, these are people who need professional help, not the magnification of society watching their every move – their every mistake. Some might question the ethics of the situation as a whole. Is it okay to document a person who is mentally ill’s life (regardless of consent) and broadcast it on national television? This is something that I think should be reconsidered when creating shows like My 600-lbs Life and 16 and Pregnant. There seems to be some sort of societal disconnect between what is okay to put on tv based on the consent by someone who is labeled as “mentally ill.” I think it should be rethought that a person who is labeled as “mentally ill” is eligible to give consent for themselves. In my opinion, shows like this are quite harmful to the people that are in them and should be taken off air. People who are mentally ill must not be used for our entertainment, rather treated with compassion and acknowledged as the part of society that needs help in their every day life.

Through research findings and articles that I found online, I quickly learned that there were many more people who agreed with me in saying that these shows are harmful to the people in them. According to the British Psychological Society, people should “desist from using mental health problems to entertain and shock the public.” Clinical Psychologist Sophie Holmes says, “we have a responsibility to consider the mental health needs of the people on the shows.” Many people who watch the shows, see this sort of exploitation as an act of bullying and how it is much different than tv shows that promote human transformation. Although there are normally great changes in people’s lives by the ends of the show, it is clear to see that much trauma had to happen in order for these changes to happen.

Some people argue that shows like this help people finally realize that they have a problem. The BPS report cites one anonymous source who wrote, “Before the programs, I didn’t realize there was help out there. It would have helped me to have this information years ago.” Another anonymous source added, “It was only when the programs were on television that I thought it’s actually a mental health problem. Before that I just thought I’m creating clutter.”  When we open our minds to the different perspective of people on both sides of the equation, we realize that these shows can be more than harmful to society.

This information was just some that I derived from the links listed below combined with my personal thoughts and feelings. Overall, I think there is some good information out there to help and argue against the broadcasting of these potentially harmful reality shows. I think it’s important to look at the facts and combine those with people’s opinions and try your best to see things through the eyes of others. The sources I used to get facts were mostly The Huffington Post and Psychology Today. Both of these sources had references and quotations from people giving their opinions on the subject at hand. These sources provided perspectives that I never thought of and many that I also agreed with. All in all, I learned a lot of things from reading through all of these sources.

From the outside looking in, these shows might seem harmless and helpful but when you realize that these people are mentally ill and are possibly being exploited for it, you might rethink turning on some of your favorite shows.

Harmful:

  1. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/17/hoarding-reality-shows_n_7605804.html
  2. http://tvcriticism2014.blogspot.com/2014/04/hoarding-buried-alive-unwrapped.html

Helpful:

  1. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-is-2020/201504/mental-illness-reality-tv-helpful-or-harmful
  2. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-green/reality-tv-rewarding-bad-_b_3606641.html

 

Spotlight Blog 3 Prompts

Regardless of which option you choose, make sure to use the tag “Spotlight” on your post. Also include the tag listed for the option you choose below. The spotlight post is due at noon on Sunday, 5/6.

Option 1 – Use the tag “Social”

People are often told to resist peer pressure and think for themselves, but as we’ve learned, this is more easily said than done. Too often, especially for teens, this advice is not followed with concrete recommendation about ways to resist pressure from others. I want you to identify three websites that provide methods for resisting peer pressure and discuss how likely you think the strategies they provide are to be successful. Make sure to explain your rationale using what we’ve learned in class and your textbook. Each of the three websites need to be targeted at a different audience but you may select the audiences you want to use (e.g., college students, athletes, parents, artists). Make sure to include links to the websites as part of your post.

Option 2 – Use the tag “Mental Illness”

Television shows like My Strange Addiction, Intervention, True Life, and others have turned some mental illnesses into entertainment. In particular, the shows Hoarders and Hoarding: Buried Alive showcase people with hoarding disorder trying to get their lives, homes, and relationships back in order. What do you think about this type of show? Is it ethical to do? Does it exploit people with mental illnesses? Here is a sample clip from Hoarding: Buried Alive in case you’re not familiar with how these shows work. Find at least two sources that argue these shows are helpful for the people on the show and/or the general public and at least two sources that argue these shows are harmful. Discuss the evidence each source provides, assess the credibility of the sources, and explain your own perspective on shows like this. Make sure to include links and/or citations for your sources.

Option 3 – Use the tag “Mental Health Treatment”

One of the biggest questions when deciding to seek treatment for a mental health condition is to pick between seeking psychotherapy (e.g., counseling, therapy) and medication. Major depressive disorder is the most common mental illness in the US, and can be treated effectively using either method. Find at least two sources that argue psychotherapy is a better treatment option and at least two sources that argue medication is a better treatment option. Discuss the evidence each source provides, assess the credibility of the sources, and explain your own perspective. Make sure to include links and/or citations for your sources.

Option 4 – Use the tag “Intelligence”

There has been a lot of controversy around the way our educational system works to improve learning outcomes for our children. For this post, you are going to investigate one of these issues and present your conclusions based on the evidence you review. You may select either year-round education (i.e., whether or not there should be a long summer break) or single-gender education (i.e., should boys and girls have separate classrooms). You will need to find two sources arguing for year-round education/single-gender education and two sources arguing against it, review the evidence in each source, and present your conclusion on the issue. Make sure to cite your sources.

I look forward to seeing what you write!

Header image: CC by Flickr user Thomas Hawk

Week 15 First Impression

--Original published at Caleb C's College Blog

It was very interesting watching the video and how it portrayed someone’s personal interactions with everyday experiences and how those are impacted by schizophrenia.  The video showed how someone suffering from this is constantly almost in fear and worried that something is going to happen to them or someone or something is after them. This seems extremely frightening and I would hate to live with this. It also portrayed the significance of taking prescribed medications through the person entering later on in the video and criticizing the person for missing a dosage. This could have contributed to the person beginning to have an episode. This way of looking at someone with schizophrenia is misrepresented in the media. Whenever I heard of schizophrenia as a child I was never told what it necessarily was and only went off of what I saw in movies or on tv. Thus, through this I established a sort of stereotype for people with that and just assumed they were crazy an needed help. I believe this stereotype is common and many people jump to conclusions about others without analyzing their situation and what they are going through. Overall, I look at this as the media needs to take on the responsibility of properly representing people with schizophrenia as well as place importance on everyone to not judge based on what you see and do research to know what is actually happening.

First Impression Post 15 Mental Illness

--Original published at JD's Blog

 

Watching the video that simulated the life of someone with Schizophrenia was actually very eye opening. One without those types of problems would never even be able to think of what goes on in their minds on a daily basis without the help of simulations like this one. The comments made by the voices in the person’s head were so degrading and mean. Even the television was interacting with the affected person and messing with their. Ind. It all seemed to be putting them down and discouraging them from doing certain actions throughout their daily routine including taking their medication that will help them with their condition. The way the condition was able to bend the persons perception of differ t household items was crazy. I have heard a few things that talked about hallucinations and change in perception, but I never would have thought they would be so vivid. The coffee and pizza in the video were moving as the voices convinced their “victim” that both were poison. It even caused the person to knock the pizza onto the floor which could be a major problem if the person does not eat or drink anything. The voices just kept repeating how worthless and useless the person was. I have not read that much about these types of disorders and am quite naïve when it comes to information about them. What in have heard in the media barely touches on the intensity and vividness of the condition. They mention mere hallucinations and the potential for voices in the victim’s head. However, Compared to this video the other media out there does not do the description justice.

First Impression Post- Week 15

--Original published at MelanieBlevins

For my first impression post this week, I chose the first option which was the video showing a day in the life of a Schizophrenic. This is a very interesting topic and I chose it because in my High School psychology class we watched the movie A Beautiful Mind when learning about Schizophrenia. The main character in the movie was a man who suffered from Schizophrenia and believed that people from the FBI are watching him and that they want him to fulfill a certain mission. During the video, I saw a lot of similarities between the individual and the main character John Nash. These similarities may be a way to show how the media portrays Schizophrenia, further influencing how the public feels about individuals with the illness. From the perspective of the media, it seems like Schizophrenics always believe someone or something is out to get them. A persons hallucinations can then manipulate them to do certain things by calling them names or threatening them with things such as death or sickness. In both the movie and the video, it is shown that the person having trouble getting through everyday tasks without imagining things going on that aren’t really there. John Nash even imagined a whole other person being with him for many years when in reality that person was not there. Schizophrenia can come in many different forms, meaning every person will be different. However, the media has portrayed it in these similar ways in both the video and the movie.

For my reaction to the video, I thought that the video was interesting because it showed that a person with this illness can experience multiple voices that can effect their perception of what is going on. Prior to viewing this, I was unaware and thought that the individual only experienced one hallucination and not multiple at one time. I thought that the video itself was not scary, but the concept of the video was very frightening to me. It was scary that the persons hallucinations caused him to do negative things, such as not eat and not take his medicine. It also worried me because many individuals in the world are not aware that they have schizophrenia because they have not been diagnosed. These individuals are struggling to get through everyday life because of their inhibitory thoughts. However, for those that are diagnosed, I think that the people around them can make a positive impact on their mindset. For example, the woman in the video helped the man to realize his actions and get back on track with taking his medicine. This is important because it shows that schizophrenics may be better in a group setting instead of being left on their own, even for short amounts of time. The thoughts of the man got stronger and more negative as his day went on because he did not take his medicine in the morning. I realize now how important it is for individuals to take their medicine on time and receive care throughout the day.

Media Production Post: Eating Fast = Weight Gain?

--Original published at Manda's College Blog

News Article [736 Words]
https://psychcentral.com/lib/eating-too-quickly-may-encourage-weight-gain/

Scholarly Article
https://www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.a2002

Article Rewrite [261 words]:

As society moves forward, convenience develops. Convenience has been created to make a person’s life so much simpler such as in how we eat and what we eat. Fast food, take away, delivery, microwavable foods, etc. are inexpensive and easy to take on the go. Could the types of food we eat be a contributor to the speed of how we eat? Are there addictive ingredients or preservatives that cause us to feel full much less? The professor’s study created a randomly assigned group of Japanese men and women varying of ages 30-69 years old. A large percentage of the participants were considered to be obese which is a BMI of 25. According to National Institutes of Health, being clinically obese is 30 and above. Though it’s not certain how long the study went on for, they were given questionnaires to record how fast they ate a meal and how full they feel after they were done. The study relied on straight up honesty from the participants, though they would also have a family member or friend re-confirm if the answers were truthful. After looking over the speed, fullness and taking into consideration of ones intake of alcohol, cigarettes and exercise, the study concluded that eating too fast does contribute to weight gain. Which can lead to other issues such as diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer, the list of medical risks because of obesity are endless. Though the study doesn’t state why people eat fast, it’s assumed that an unhealthy upbringing can influence the risk of obesity, where they tend to overeat and eat fast. It’s suggested that parents need to take part in their children’s eating habits, taking bites and teaching them to enjoy and savor the taste until they are full.

Reflection

I found myself asking questions when I was done reading the article about the study. The article had a great start telling us about the participants in the study and how they were assigned. They gave out the specifics of the type of Japanese men and women that were selected, but as the article went on it was quite vague of what the research and data consisted of let alone a final determination. Yes, it was presumed that eating too fast does cause weight gain, but where is the data supporting that? As the article went on, I felt that a complete 180 jump happened when the author of this article began discussing healthy eating among preschools. Again, I was asking myself if they were part of the study, an addition to the study, and were they even Japanese. I honestly believe that this news article definitely should not be considered for informational and research purposes. Out of the five critical questions, they answered the ones about the participants and it’s variables but that is it. Reading the scholarly article compared to the news article was as if it was a whole new study. I personally never even thought about looking for research articles over ones you find on google about the study; from now on I will be looking at the scholarly articles for the key information much more than the news articles.

First Impression: Schizophrenia

--Original published at Pisacane Perspectives

For this week I chose option 1 which contained the video simulating what a normal day for someone with schizophrenia is like. Although I’ve seen movies depicting people with schizophrenia, namely Danny Darko and A Beautiful Mind, I still found myself being anxious throughout the video because I didn’t know what to expect. This made me realize that although the media depicts the common symptoms of the disorder, they do so in a way that advances the plot or gives the story an antagonist (in the case of Danny Darko) and not in a way that’s actually accurate.

I found it interesting that the video used light to show “reality” and what was the disorder. In the beginning there’s no voices or hallucination, but as they start to appear it get’s darker and darker in the video. It isn’t until another person comes and grounds the person by talking about their medicine and opening the blinds does it become light again. Throughout the video the harsh words of the voices, the paranoia, and the hallucinations made me realize how difficult it is to just go about your day like a person without the disorder would. It’s very persistent unlike the way it’s portrayed in media where is comes and goes.

Obviously medication can help with these symptoms, and there isn’t any “typical” case of schizophrenia, but this video made it a lot easier to understand what life for someone with schizophrenia is like compared to what it looks like in movies.

First Impression post week 15

--Original published at Max'sPHY105blog

For this weeks first impression post, I choose to respond to option 1, in which I comment on a schizophrenia simulator. I thought this video was a little scary. I would have been shaking if I did not know that the man was experiencing hallucinations. As I watched this video, I tried to put myself in this man’s place. At first, I thought that if my everyday life was like what the video showed, I would probably get used to it eventually and become less likely to believe what I see. I thought that this would be especially true with hearing the man talk on television about someone coming to get me. When the simulation ended, it was mentioned that no one experiences schizophrenia in the same way. After I thought about that, it came to me that there might be different hallucinations experienced by people with schizophrenia every day, good or bad. So people with schizophrenia would have no idea what is real and what is not. So it was not wonder the man in the video had many protective thoughts telling him to not answer the door or eat a pizza, with the main though in his head that someone was trying to kill him. When I hear of schizophrenia on the media, I usually see things with a similar background as the video, but it ends up getting much worse. I usually see a person lashing out and trying to stab someone he thinks is trying to hurt him. In the media, I see people with schizophrenia as being overprotective as if they have seen a ghost. Although this might be true in some cases, I know that the hallucinations experienced by people with schizophrenia are not always deadly. Some of these hallucinations might even look good what the real thing is bad. Like the video stated, there is not one way to represent the hallucinations experienced by people with schizophrenia, so the effects of schizophrenia must vary across a wide range as well.

Blog Post Week 15

--Original published at Sidney's college blogs

For this week’s first impression post, I decided to do option 1. I watched the video, and it honestly made my heart race and my head was going a million miles an hour. I can not even imagine going through what these people go through on a daily basis. I have mentioned before that I am a huge fan of the show Criminal Minds. Those with schizophrenia are often depicted in this show. For example, there was an episode where a man was on a train and he ended up holding everyone in the train hostage because he believed that FBI had put a tracking device in his arm. He believed that the government knew everything about him and that they were after him. This episode showed his schizophrenic state by having a “man” behind his shoulder at all times. This represented the voice that he battled with inside of his head. The “man” standing over his shoulder would give him the ideas about the FBI. He would tell him if someone needed to be shot and ultimately what the outcome of the situation would be. He completely filled his head with insane thoughts and feelings. There were also delusions that he saw in the episode. He would imagine the people on the train telling him that he is stupid, and that the FBI already knows everything about him. No one said these things to him, but he imagined it himself. That episode reminded me greatly of the video I watched. In neuroscience, we recently learned about those who had schizophrenia, and it is truly a fascinating, but horrible disorder to have. The video put you in perspective as being the person who has this disorder. The person had no clarity and no control over themselves. The voices within his mind completely overtook his thoughts and his actions. The part that really surprised me was that the voices were able to convince him that the pizza and the medication were poisonous. So much that the pizza box actually said “Poizzon.” I am really glad that I was able to watch this video and see how a day in the life of someone with schizophrenia really is. I could never imagine having to deal with voices inside of my head determining my entire life.

Schizophrenia: Elyn Saks

--Original published at Manda's College Blog

Watching Elyn Saks was a breath of fresh air for me. I unfortunately don’t know too much about schizophrenia, assuming it was related to multiple personality disorder and they can never live a normal life. I get this impression from the media and also from one of my friends moms, who has schizophrenia. I’ve met her and she’s always talking about that someone is after her and that we need to check the closets in the house. She lives with my friend because my friend found her not taking care of herself on her own.

Elyn describes schizophrenia just like what I’ve witnessed, the paranoia and intense nightmares she experiences while she’s awake, opened my eyes. It’s incredibly scary and unpredictable for the person that has it. I admire the fact that Elyn has taken a stand and is not just a psychologist but a firm believer that people of mental illness should not be in restraints. Showing this to my friend, she said she needed to see this because she finds herself getting so angry at her mom, she needs to realize it’s not her fault and there is no thoughts of sending her to a psych ward.

Elyn should be shown to people in the medical world and take consideration of what she believes helps people like her.